The City of Toronto is changing the peak-period parking and turning restrictions on some sections of Queen Street east of Parliament Street as well as along Broadview Avenue and Kingston Road to help minimize traffic congestion and improve the flow of streetcars and other traffic.

Similar to changes already made on downtown sections of King, Queen, Dundas and College Streets, the new regulations will extend stopping, standing and turning restrictions during morning and afternoon peak traffic periods.

Installation of new signs to reflect the no stopping and no parking regulations has begun as the changes go into effect this week.

The following changes are being made to weekday no stopping hours:

• Eastbound Queen Street East between Woodbine Avenue and Wineva Avenue: extended from current 4 to 6 p.m. to new hours of 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

• Eastbound Queen Street East between Carroll Street and Broadview Avenue: extended from current 4 to 6 p.m. to new 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

• Northbound Broadview Avenue between Millbrook Crescent and Danforth Avenue: extended from current 4 to 6 p.m. to new 4 to 6:30 p.m.

• Eastbound Kingston Road between Glen Manor Drive and Victoria Park Avenue: extended from current 4 to 6 p.m. to new 3 to 7 p.m.

• Westbound Kingston Road between Scarborough Road and Main Street/Southwood Drive: extended from current 7 to 9 a.m. to new 7 to 10 a.m.

Congestion and variable travel times have a significant impact on the quality of life for residents and carry an economic cost to businesses. Recent studies have indicated that congestion costs Toronto commuters several billions of dollars annually in travel delays and vehicle operating costs as well as increasing vehicle emissions. The revised traffic regulations will help to improve the speed and reliability of streetcars, as well as the flow of general traffic.

This initiative is one of several planned as part of the Congestion Management Strategy developed by the City's Transportation Services division. The strategy includes increasing the number of cameras on streets to better detect problems on key transportation routes, increasing variable-message signs and enhancing co-ordination of traffic signals.

These changes will help the City better respond to changes in traffic conditions, provide motorists with updated information to allow them to change routes as necessary and improve traffic efficiency along key corridors.

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